Chapter 30: To the Empire (1)
Chapter 30: To the Empire (1)
"Demon-nim, are you feeling any discomfort anywhere?"
"I am not."
"Perhaps, a headache or......."
"I'm perfectly fine."
"Would you like some water?"
"I'm all right."
"I-it's...... it's a token of my regard!"
"......?"
Was that a death threat?
I stared at the bizarre flower thrust before me with a bewildered expression.
At that, the guy who had offered the flower was sucked away into the massive crowd, and soon a commotion erupted along with a dull thud.
"Are you insane?!"
"You dare gift Demon-nim a flower? And what do you mean, a token of your regard?!"
"Ack! Urk! Demon-nim likes flowers, you know?! This is an expression of my deep respect, what of it!"
"Demon-nim likes flowers......?"
"That's right! I saw him enjoying a walk in the garden! If he likes them enough to keep an incubus at his side just because he's the gardener and stroll around with him, how much do you think he likes them? You ignorant fools!"
"Then it was a bribe!"
"Kughaak!"
I don't really know what that was about, but you're having a rough time of it.......
I shook my head wearily.
At the moment, I was sitting quietly inside a carriage. When I woke up and realized I was in a carriage, I was startled beyond belief.
I even briefly wondered if that damn Demon King had taken advantage of my drunken stupor to sell me off to the Empire.
I only realized that wasn't the case after opening the window to assess the situation, but I was startled in a different way.
'Why, why are they all looking at me like that?'
The moment I opened the window, countless gazes converged on me.
Beneath those eyes fixed on me, simmering with a strange fervor, I couldn't do this or that and simply froze up.
If Ed hadn't approached me, I might have stayed in that state the whole time.
Looking in through the window, Ed studied my complexion and asked if I was all right, and I just nodded, completely clueless.
Given the atmosphere, I couldn't bring myself to ask what the hell was going on.
Later, I found out I'd gotten drunk and caused another incident.......
Seeing as how I apparently performed tremendously in a war, it seems I threw myself onto the battlefield.......
'What the hell did I do? In what state of mind.......'
No wonder I'd wondered why we were just heading back.
We weren't just heading back; we were heading back because it was already over.
I was sure I'd drunk in moderation. Has my tolerance really dropped? It's not like it's a real problem, but it's a bit of a shame.
Anyway, it seemed that spectacle had left quite the impression.
The entire way back, corps members kept poking their faces through the open window to talk to me.
These guys who always kept their distance from me with stiff expressions......!
"Aren't you hungry?"
"I am not."
At first, I was bewildered. Then, I was scared. And now.......
'Exhausted.'
This sort of thing is only bearable once or twice.
They probably each thought they were just talking to me once, but I, on the receiving end, was at the point where my lips were about to chafe off.
Closing the window was difficult because people kept speaking to me, and if I just ignored them and shut it, I might vanish without a trace....... It's really driving me crazy.
Just then, Ed appeared, pushing through the corps members gathered in front of the window.
At the sight of that welcome face, I leaned my upper body toward the window, and he bowed his head once before speaking.
"We have arrived."
Finally!
I quickly got to my feet.
My body was always tired so I couldn't tell for sure, but my mind was utterly exhausted.
Feeling like I was genuinely about to lose my mind at this rate, I got off the carriage thinking only of getting some rest quickly.
And then......
'......When did I get up to my room?'
It seemed my exhaustion was so great that even my memories had grown hazy.
I didn't know when or how I'd come up.
"Ah, you're here?"
The Demon King raised his head.
Looking at the white-haired man standing expressionlessly before him as always, he curved his eyes into a grin.
"I heard you performed magnificently this time? Well done. So, how does it feel to have met the new Hero?"
"......I came because I have something to report."
Even though no answer to his question came back, the Demon King, instead of pointing out the rudeness, drew a smile onto his face.
After all, some very interesting information had just come in.
Information that was, in a way, connected to the man before him — Deon Hart.
"Is that so? Before that, how about taking a look at this? The 2nd Legion Commander brought information about the new Hero."
He flinched.
At the words '2nd Legion Commander,' Deon's body trembled.
"......The 2nd Legion Commander was here, you say."
"Yes. They came carrying a pile of men's clothing for some reason?"
"......."
Whatever he was thinking, Deon, who gave another shudder unlike before, hurriedly snatched up the documents.
His eyes began moving side to side, scanning down the text.
Truthfully, there wasn't much to read.
Except.
"That new Hero's name is......."
Because those few lines of text carried weighty information.
"Cruel Hart."
"......Ha."
Forgetting his earlier haste, Deon Hart could do nothing but laugh.
His red eyes glinted. The corners of his mouth rose, revealing enmity and murderous intent.
A name all too familiar.
Repeating the name of his own brother, a name he would struggle to forget in a lifetime, he spoke.
"I should have just killed him back then."
Even if it meant overdoing it.
He put the documents down and lifted his head. The Demon King's distinctive Inverse Eyes, where the whites and irises were reversed, were looking this way with a knowing smile, as if fully aware of what he was about to say.
"You intend to go to the Empire, don't you?"
"......."
Sometimes, silence becomes affirmation.
The Demon King, who had unhurriedly tidied his desk, rose from his seat and approached Deon.
As if he already knew everything the Demon King was about to do, Deon stood still without a hint of puzzlement as the Demon King tapped the boundary line on his neck, just above the collarbone, with a finger, and spoke.
Though a black mark was stamped where his finger touched, neither of them paid it any mind.
"Go and come back. If you're absent from your post on the Empire's side for too long, people will start to get suspicious. And of course, if you find any useful information, let me know."
The Demon King grinned.
The reason he valued Deon.
It was because Deon Hart was handling a task that even he himself could not do.
A task that the demon-race, who all have at least one visible physical difference from humans, could never perform.
The role of a spy.
"Then I shall go and return."
Deon Hart.
He was a Legion Commander of the Demon King's army,
and a Hero of the Empire.
After a long bout of agonizing, I barely managed to dredge up one fragment of memory.
Right, I had met with the Demon King. Since reporting to your superior the moment you return is a natural duty.
And one bit of the conversation I vaguely remembered.
'The 2nd Legion Commander came back.'
So, I had thought of bolting to the Empire, and somehow the Demon King had given me permission to go...... was that it?
It feels suspiciously like a memory tailor-made to my convenience, but what does it matter.
The result was clear: he had permitted me to go to the Empire.
[Go and come back. If you're absent from your post on the Empire's side for too long, people will start to get suspicious. And of course, if you find any useful information, let me know.]
Because these words from the Demon King remained crystal clear in my memory.
In that case, since I had his permission, I'd best leave quickly before the 2nd Legion Commander got here. They'd surely start trying to dress me in all sorts of things the moment they spotted me.
I hurriedly got up from my seat and started packing my things.
Anyway, I didn't need much luggage for a trip to the Empire. Just put a little care into my attire so I wasn't exposed to sunlight, grab some food for the journey, and that's it.
'Wow, perfect.'
I was a little worried about whether I could grab provisions without running into the 2nd Legion Commander.......
Recalling the 2nd Legion Commander who had apparently brought a pile of clothes, I shuddered.
'They definitely won't let me go until they've made me try on every last one of those outfits.'
They didn't seem like a bad person, but they were a terrifying demon who had taught me that a person can collapse from sheer exhaustion just putting clothes on and taking them off.
I placed my hand on the doorknob to quickly go get supplies, but wait.
'Where do I get provisions?'
The mess hall would be troublesome, since the Legion Commanders would be there.
......Should I just go out and see?
The moment I turned the knob, I heard a knock. Startled, I backed away from the door.
'Don't tell me it's the 2nd Legion Commander already?'
My feet instinctively retreated a step.
As if to reassure me in my hesitation, unable to even ask who it was, a very familiar voice came from beyond the door.
"Demon-nim, it's Ed."
"If you're here, sit down."
The Demon King, who had been examining documents, raised his head and tilted his chin. It was a solemn face, unlike the one he wore when dealing with Deon.
As Ed sat down without protest, he quietly turned his thoughts over.
Demon-nim must have already made his report, so why had he been summoned? Surely there wasn't something left unexplained?
Meanwhile, the Demon King, having finished organizing the documents into a pile to one side, called Ed's name in a low voice.
"I'm not fond of dragging things out, so I'll get right to it."
"......."
"Have you ever considered becoming a Legion Commander?"
"!"
All his assumptions and mental preparations were rendered moot; his mind went completely blank.
His daze at this utterly unexpected topic was brief. Ed quickly regained his composure and assessed the situation.
"Is this because the position of 9th Legion Commander is vacant?"
"Yes. Before, all the Legion Commander positions were filled, so you remained as the 0th Legion Commander's adjutant, but now the situation is different."
A position had become vacant.
It was only natural that the right to choose the candidate for that position would fall to Ed, the successor.
This was something he had always been waiting for. How could he have forgotten it?
And yet, even though it was something he had waited for, Ed could not easily open his mouth.
"If I become a Legion Commander, Demon-nim's adjutant will......."
"We'll have to select a new one. The next in line after you."
"Then what happens if I refuse?"
"The offer of Legion Commander will go to that next in line who would become the new adjutant."
"I...... see."
Having spoken up to there, Ed closed his mouth.
His expression plainly revealed his inner turmoil. As if to give him time to think, the Demon King leaned lazily back in his chair.
The tension in the air loosened, and a soft stillness settled over the room as if time had stopped.
Even within that stillness, Ed could not speak for a long while. Only after the three moons that had been lined up outside the window began to overlap again did he finally manage to force the words out.
"I am......."
After concluding his conversation with the Demon King, Ed headed to Deon's room as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As always, he knocked twice and spoke the words he always said.
"Demon-nim, it's Ed."
"Come in."
When he opened the door and entered, he saw his superior standing inside the room. Ed stopped in place.
Deon was fully armed, as if he were about to leave at any moment.
It was an unexpected sight, but considering he had met with His Majesty the Demon King earlier, Ed could predict that he must have received some sort of secret order. Showing no disturbance, he finished closing the door.
"Are you heading out?"
"Yes, it will take quite some time."
"Ah......."
Uncharacteristically, Ed hesitated, his eyes shifting.
Deon glanced at him like he was strange for a moment, but judging there was no need to press him on it, he opted instead to add a belated explanation.
"I will be going to the human world."
"Is that so. Then you will need provisions."
Ed's actions were swift, as expected.
After firmly refusing Deon's insistence that he could manage on his own, Ed carefully fastened a small enchanted pouch to Deon's waist. Then, he glanced subtly at Deon's mood and cautiously opened his mouth.
"I, um......."
"Ah, thank you. Now, I should be going."
That wasn't what he had meant to receive thanks for. Ed stared blankly at Deon as he got up from his seat.
A traveler's hood covered the white hair, and the red eyes were concealed.
And the back that had been heading for the door as if it would never look back, at some point, turned around.
"Ed."
"Yes, Demon-nim."
"Is there anything you want?"
"......Pardon?"
"Since I'm going to the Empire for once, something you need or the like."
A quiet laugh escaped Ed before he knew it.
Where else in the world was there a superior who looked after his subordinates like this?
And likewise, there was probably no superior anywhere who needed this much looking after.
"Nothing in particular."
"Hmm....... Then I'll just pick something up as I see fit. I'm busy now, so we'll talk when I return."
There, Ed decided to hold his tongue.
Instead of mentioning the proposal he had received from His Majesty the Demon King, he raised the corners of his lips and gently creased his eyes. Then, bowing reverently, he said,
"Yes, I will be waiting."
There was no need to bring up a proposal he had already refused and disturb the peace of a busy man.
"Please, return safely in good health."
Even when Deon returned from the Empire, Ed would still be here to greet him as his adjutant.